Process for removing formaldehyde from a composition comprising glycolaldehyde

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016002137-A1
Application number	US-201414769161-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 25, 2014
Priority date	Feb 27, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process for reducing the percentage by weight of formaldehyde present in a composition comprising glycolaldehyde, wherein formaldehyde is transformed into one or more formaldehyde acetal(s) and removed from the reactive distillation reaction solution by reactive distillation in the presence of at least one alcohol and a catalyst.

First claim

1 . A process for reducing the percentage by weight of formaldehyde present in a composition comprising glycolaldehyde by reactive distillation in the presence of at least one alcohol and at least one catalyst.

2 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the alcohol is selected from one or more of the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol and propylene glycol.

3 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is an acid catalyst.

4 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is selected from one or more of the group consisting of a solid catalyst, mineral acid catalyst and organic acid.

5 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the acid catalyst is selected from one or more of the group consisting of an acidic resin, molecular sieves and a mineral acid.

6 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the acid catalyst is selected from one or more of the group consisting of Amberlyst-131 and concentrated sulphuric acid.

7 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprising glycolaldehyde is an aqueous composition.

8 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the volume ratio of alcohol to aqueous composition comprising glycolaldehyde is between 1:9 and 9:1.

9 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the reactive distillation is carried out at a temperature less than 120° C.

10 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the reactive distillation is carried out under reduced pressure.

11 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises adding a catalyst and optionally water to the reaction solution after reactive distillation, heating and reducing the volume of the solution.

12 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprising glycolaldehyde is obtained by pyrolysis of organic matter selected from the group consisting of biomass, wood and sugars.

13 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprising glycolaldehyde is obtained by pyrolysis of one or more sugars selected from the group consisting of glucose, sucrose, xylose, fructose and galactose.

14 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprising glycolaldehyde is obtained by hydroformylation.

15 . A process for the preparation of ethylene glycol wherein the composition comprising glycolaldehyde obtained by the process according to claim 1 , is subjected to hydrogenation.

16 . A process for the preparation of amines wherein the composition comprising glycolaldehyde obtained by the process according to claim 1 is subjected to reductive amination.

17 . Use of a composition prepared by the process according to claim 1 , for the preparation of straight and branched chain oxygenated C4-alkyl and C4˜alkenyl compounds.

18 . Use of a composition prepared by the process according to claim 1 , for the browning of foodstuffs.

19 . Use of a composition prepared by the process according to claim 1 , for the preparation of binders and resins.

20 . Use of binders and resins prepared according to claim 19 , for the preparation of fibres, textiles, plastics, rubbers, plywood and mineral wool.

Assignees

• Haldor Topsoe As

Inventors

• Taarning Esben
• Holm Martin Spangsberg

Classifications

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• C07C209/24

  by reductive alkylation of ammonia, amines or compounds having groups reducible to amino groups, with carbonyl compounds · CPC title

• C07H3/02

  Monosaccharides · CPC title

• A23L1/272

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• C07C67/42

  by oxidation of secondary alcohols or ketones · CPC title